Parents' Guide to MapleStory M

Fans of this role-playing franchise have been on edge waiting for the mobile version, and if they're OK with auto-play running their game, they're bound to enjoy it. Then again, considering the competitive nature of your average MapleStory fan, that's highly unlikely for MapleStory M players. Visually, MapleStory M is a credit to the series. It's cute and colorful, with fun music, sounds, and effects. Plus, the hundreds of weapons, armor pieces, and accessories promise hours of tinkering with your character's skills and looks. The simple storyline provides just enough motivation to keep you stepping through magic portals, and the cool background art makes it worth finding out what they lead to. Grouping is easy, and generous free play means nice long play sessions without spending any cash. (Then again, not buying that new magic robe or collection of cute koala bear pets could be too much to ask of any MMO fan.)

On the downside, the gameplay is highly repetitive. Missions consist solely of "kill so many of this," and "collect so much of that," which is likely why the development team decided to include auto-play. Though it's common enough in modern mobile games, the "no pain, all gain" of auto-play could be a big turn-off for old-school role-players. And true enough: What's the point of interactive entertainment if it's not interactive? In any case, auto-play is optional, so if you don't mind lots of repetition and can ignore the idea of sitting lower on the leaderboard than someone who lets the game play itself for hours on end, you're in for a reasonable amount of fun.